Implantable stimulating assembly with muscle

Abstract

An electrode array, such as a cochlear implant electrode array, or a retinal prosthesis array, or a vestibular array, comprising a plurality of electrodes and an electrode carrier carrying the plurality of electrodes. The electrodes can be made of platinum, for example, and the carrier can be made of silicone, for example. The electrode carrier includes an artificial muscle component.

1 . An electrode array, comprising:
 a plurality of electrodes; and   an electrode carrier carrying the plurality of electrodes, wherein   the electrode carrier includes an artificial muscle component.   
     
     
         2 . The electrode array of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrode array is configured so that the artificial muscle component expands upon a trigger event.   
     
     
         3 . The electrode array of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the artificial muscle component is configured to contract upon a trigger event.   
     
     
         4 . The electrode array of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the artificial muscle component is a polymer with a preferred direction of a polymer chain thereof, the preferred direction being adopted upon a trigger event.   
     
     
         5 . The electrode array of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the artificial muscle component is a hydrogel-based component.   
     
     
         6 . The electrode array of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrode array includes a plurality of artificial muscle components distributed at intervals along a longitudinal direction of the electrode array.   
     
     
         7 . The electrode array of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrode array is configured so that a local radius of curvature of the electrode array can be controlled to have at least three different values each separated from each other by at least 5% of the minimum controlled local radius of curvature.   
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining an implantable electrode array;   inserting the implantable electrode array into a recipient; and   during insertion and/or subsequent to the full insertion of the implantable component, controllably transforming the electrode array from a first geometry to a second geometry without any of:
 external force relief controlling the transformation; 
 external pressure relief controlling the transformation; and 
 reaction force controlling the transformation. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the action of transforming from the first geometry to the second geometry is entirely a result of one or more artificial muscles that is/are an integral part of the electrode array.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the electrode array is a cochlear electrode array;   the action of inserting the implantable component into the recipient includes inserting the electrode array into a cochlea;   the first geometry is a curved geometry resulting at least in part from the curvature of the cochlea; and   the second geometry is a curved geometry having an average radius of curvature that is lower than that of the first geometry.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the electrode array cochlear implant electrode array;   the action of inserting the implantable component into the recipient includes inserting the electrode array into a cochlea of a recipient in a third geometry;   the first geometry is a curved geometry resulting at least in part from the curvature of the cochlea; and   the third geometry is one of a substantially straight geometry or a negatively curved geometry relative to the curved geometry of the first geometry.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the array is a cochlear implant electrode array;   the action of inserting the implantable component into the recipient includes inserting the electrode array into a cochlea of a recipient in the first geometry; and   the transformation from the first geometry to the second geometry takes less than 30 seconds.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the electrode array has at least four actuators, and a carrier member of the electrode array is segmented to receive the four actuators in spaced apart manner with respective portions of the carrier member being located between at least two of the four actuators.   
     
     
         16 . An implantable apparatus, comprising:
 an electrode array including a plurality of electrodes and a carrier carrying electrodes, wherein the electrode array is configured so that, during and/or after insertion into a recipient, a local radius of curvatures at a first location and a second location more distal than the first location can be simultaneously controllably changed relative to one another.   
     
     
         17 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the local radius of curvature at the first location is controlled by one or more actuators located, relative to a longitudinal direction of the electrode array, between two electrodes.   
     
     
         18 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the local radius of curvature at the first location is controlled by relieving a tension force in the carrier, the relieving of tension increasing the local radius and/or establishing the local radius of curvature, respectively.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the local radius of curvature at the first location is controlled by actuators in the carrier, wherein upon turning off the actuators, the local radius of curvature is increased and/or the local radius of curvature is established, respectively.   
     
     
         21 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the electrode array is configured so that, after insertion into a recipient, beyond that which results from tissue of the recipient causing such change and/or adoption, (i) a plurality of local radius of curvatures at a plurality of spatially separate locations, including the first location and the second location, can be controllably changed to be different from one another and/or (ii) the plurality of local radius of curvatures can be controllably obtained at the plurality of spatially separate locations from no radius of curvature at the respective plurality of spatially separate locations.   
     
     
         22 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the plurality of spatially separate locations include at least three.   
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein;
 the local radius of curvature at the first location is controlled by actuators in the carrier, wherein upon turning on the actuators, the local radius of curvature is increased and/or the local radius of curvature is established, respectively.   
     
     
         25 - 26 . (canceled)